We sit down with Nate Stick to talk about his sciency childhood, his career path, his blog, fave bird facts, and his bird watching strategies which he wrote about in his book, Birding for the Curious: The Easiest Way for Anyone to Explore the Incredible World of Birds. Nate is the digital communications manager and podcast host at the American Birding Association.

You can follow Nate on Instagram at n8swick.

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Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Audio: bird vocalizations were accessed in the Macauley Library.

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Don't call Rodney Stotts a master falconer. He told me other people gave him the label. He focuses on relationships between birds and people. During our conversation, Rodney refused to choose a favorite bird. Every species and individual bird has special characteristics. He honors people in his life by naming birds after them. "Whenever I am missing one of them, I can take that bird and fly that bird, and it's just like we're together." Dippy's Dream, Rodney's sanctuary, is named for his mother. I'm grateful for the time Rodney took to share his path to urban wildlife conservation from "I need a check" to protecting and making places for wildlife.

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Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Audio: bird vocalizations were accessed in the Macauley Library (Bald Eagle, juvenile) and at Xeno-Canto (Eurasian Eagle-Owl, female and male calls).

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Katy Tanis, children's book writer and illustrator and pattern designer, describes herself as "not a bird-bird person." In our conversation, Katy talks about Edward and Annie, her book about Rockhopper Penguins; her fascination with goldenrod and the Golden-crowned Kinglets who she's observed on this plant; and the cardinals and shore birds near her home. It sounds like Katy is a bird person.

Learn more about Katy's art at Daughter Earth.

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Audio: bird vocalizations were accessed from xeno-canto: https://xeno-canto.org/172355 (Rockhopper Penguin) and https://xeno-canto.org/729505 (Golden-crowned Kinglet). The car and bird track was provided by Katy Tanis.

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In this episode Devan Aptekar shares his joyful journey of being a science teacher in a New York City middle school. Devan's goal for students is for them to graduate middle school believing and knowing they are scientists. Georgia brought the Explore Birds education program to 12 science classes at Devan's school in the fall of 2022. Devan and Georgia talk about the experiences of the students. She asks Devan to discuss how his colleagues perceived the program and the impact the program has had on his relationship to birds.

Devan Aptekar is a geologist and a writer. He is working on a new manuscript about future New York City where bird divination plays a central role. We cannot wait to read this book!

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Bird vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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How do you disrupt the "great forgetting machine" that is colonialism? Biologist and zoologist Dr. Leo Douglas offers this observation among many: "The more we can encourage people to think about this history, it's the more we can bring a broader cross section of society into the conservation fold, and give them a wider variety of reasons why they should be concerned or interested or value the natural world." Dr. Douglas drops many insights in our conversation about the history of the bird-people connection in Jamaica and its roots in the West Africa via the transatlantic slave trade. Please listen and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

Leo Douglas is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Liberal Studies. He received his Ph.D., a Masters of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, and an Advanced Environmental Policy Certificate from Columbia University. He also holds a Masters of Philosophy degree in Zoology from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica (source). You can follow him on Twitter @ leo_r_douglas.

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Bird vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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Our sister program, Washington Square Park Eco Projects, has been conducting a wildlife survey in Washington Square Park since 2016. Tatiana and Ted, neighborhood residents, volunteer to collect survey data. We spoke with them about their experiences walking the survey transect, noticing birds, and observing the park over time.

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Bird vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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Environmental artist Julie Peppito talks with us about the origin of her art, her family ties to New York, the materials she uses in her "creature-like sculptures, layered tapestries, large installations, collages, and playground art." Our favorite Peppito piece is "United Birds of America," a site-specific sculpture for the "For the Birds" exhibit at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 2022. Julie talks about the making of this birdhouse and the American Robin who visited the sculpture as she was putting on the finishing touches the garden.

Learn about Julie on her website and her Instagram.

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Bird vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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Like. Review. Subscribe. Share. Thank you!

Kene'h Oweh is the creator and storyteller of By the Fire. In conversation with Ken, she shared myths and folk tales about birds and bird-like creatures of the Black diaspora. She also spoke about feeding birds during the lockdown in London, and her burgeoning interest in pigeons. Definitely subscribe to By the Fire!

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Raptor vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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Monica Yadeun wears many hats. She is a veterinarian, a bird advocate, and an environmental innovator. Her initiative Pollinator Resorts is part of the World Economic Forum. She founded Guardianas de las Aves. In our conversation, Monica talks about her path to veterinary care, doctoral degree in decolonize pedagogy, bird diversity conservation, and favorite birds(s). She tells us that she gets to know birds by spending time in their places. 

Follow Guardianas de las Aves on Instagram @guardianas_de_aves. Learn more about Pollinator Resorts.

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story brings more field recordings to listeners. CHIRP, as we are calling this season, is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Bird vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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Katie Leung's childhood interest in charismatic megafauna and predatory mammals and fish has evolved to include raptors like the Eastern Screech-Owl and the Osprey. Katie describes her previous work with raptors in New York City. She is effusive about her new job working on the Hudson River, a "beautiful, vast estuary".  I appreciate Katie's willingness to talk about balancing vigilance in light of anti-Asian hate and enjoying and working in the outdoors.

Read about the eagle hacking project in Inwood Hill Park in upper Manhattan. 

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Season 3 of Your Bird Story is devoted to bringing more field recordings to listeners. CHIRP, as we are calling this season, is made possible with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant.

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Production

Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans

Producer and Editor: Pod to the People

Raptor vocalizations were accessed from the Macaulay Library.

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Share this episode with a friend!